Exodus 25:31-40
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Let’s go to India for this story from a university professor. He heard the program on social media. After listening for a few days, he called the producer and inquired about Jesus. “I know that Jesus is only a social reformer; how can he be a God or son of God? A man cannot be God.” The producer guided him in what the Bible says about Jesus, and he found the answers in the scripture, now he says, “Your programs helped me to know Jesus in the true sense.”
He was right, normally man cannot be God. Jesus is the only one who has ever truthfully made this claim and He gave us the evidence to support it.
Again, we thank you for joining us and trust that you have been encouraged by hearing from our listeners. Now if you can open your Bibles to Exodus and let’s give our attention to Pastor J Mark as he shares todays lesson with us.
According to Genesis chapter 1, light was the first thing God spoke into existence at Creation. The darkness which was upon the face of the deep caused God to call for light. “Let there be light” He said, and there was light. God made the light to penetrate and dispel the darkness. He called the darkness, night, and the light He called Day.
On day four in the creation week, He created the sun, moon, and stars. He set them in the heavens for days and months, and seasons, and years. Light is important to God. It is important to man and other created beings, because almost every living creature needs light to survive. We are dependent upon light. Without light, we would not survive.
Since light is so important to man, during his history he has looked for various ways to lengthen the light of day. The development of the lamp from a spark to a flame to burning oil to a candle to electric lighting is shown in museums around the world.
God knew Israel needed light in the tent of meeting, or Tabernacle, so He ordered the lampstand. The tabernacle was constructed in a way that permitted no daylight inside. As a result, there needed to be some kind of light for that dark interior so the priests could perform their daily duties. So, God designed the lampstand. It seems this light in the tabernacle was a symbol of God’s glory. It demonstrated His continual presence.
What was God’s design regarding the lampstand in the area where there was no daylight? In Exodus 25:31-40 we find the instructions God gave to Moses for this light.
31. And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
32. And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
33. Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so, in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
34. And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
35. And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
36. Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
37. And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
38. And the tongs thereof, and the snuff dishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
39. Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
40. And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
The instructions Moses received contain several DETAILS so the lampstand would give the light as it should.
The First DETAIL was,
The Branches.
Note exactly the details of construction that the LORD gave to Moses: the material, the dimensions, and the design. The lampstand was to be made of pure gold, of beaten work. Imagine the skill and time it took to craft this furnishing. It would have a shaft, branches, buds, blossoms, and bowls, all of gold, all one solid piece. It would have six branches coming out of a stem, three on one side and three on the other side. There was beautiful symmetry and balance in this. It was a delightful work of beautiful art.
I noticed that on each of these branches were three different stages in the process of bearing fruit. You had buds, blossoms, and mature almonds. The text says the bowls were shaped like almonds. In nature these occur separately, but here they’re all together, suggesting perpetual fruitfulness. As Believers our perpetual fruitfulness is only possible through Christ, the Light of the world. The lampstand is also illustrative of the relationship of the Vine and the branches.
All the details we have are given in these verses. We may well imagine just how it looked for we have this instruction from the LORD to Moses. It was to have six branches and a shaft up in the middle. It was a seven branched lampstand, diffusing light. In Scripture, 7 is the number of perfection. This lampstand would give light to that holy place.
I can almost see it now in my imagination. It would be a soft light, a glowing light. It wouldn’t be a harsh kind of light that would not drive away. Rather, it would be a beautiful, soft, glowing light from these seven branches, three coming from one side and three coming from the other side of the center stem, all of pure beaten gold. It must have been a beautiful sight as the light was burning and reflecting on the gold from which it was made.
The Next DETAIL was,
The Bowls.
The direction for the bowls was the second detail. This was also carefully laid out. There were to be bowls made like almonds, with a bud and a flower in each branch; and three bowls made like almonds on each side with buds and flowers. So, the bowls apparently were to hold the supply of oil for the light. The oil was compounded especially for the lampstand. The recipe is given for it in Exodus 27:20. The light came from this oil that was in the bowls on the lamp branches. So there in the darkness, light was to shine continually.
In John’s vision of Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation, he saw Jesus standing in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. Those lampstands represented the seven churches, symbolic of Believers being the light of the world as Jesus said in Matthew 5:14.
I am impressed with God’s wish that all of this would be beautifully arranged, so there would be a light in that dark room. The revelation of God is like the perpetual light. These bowls were provided to hold the oil for the lamps, symbolically to remind Israel of God’s revelation. All this was made of pure gold, beaten work very carefully fashioned with the flowers, the buds, and the bowls. It was carefully designed so that everything was in harmony. Then the light could shine in the darkness of the Tabernacle. I see this as a symbol of God’s presence.
The Final DETAIL was,
The Bearing.
In the third detail we see the intent or purpose of the lamp, it’s bearing. The light was to penetrate the darkness and beyond it as verse 37 tells: “And they shall light the lamps thereof that they may give light beyond it. A talent of pure gold shall he make it.” This has been calculated to be between 75 and 100 pounds (or 1200 ounces) of pure gold! It was very valuable, very precious, and it was a treasured lampstand. It was to give light in that dark room where no daylight ever penetrated. For Israel the light shone constantly. It was to be an ever-present light. No other people on the face of the earth had such a light.
A tremendous truth emerges. Light is essential for life. The lampstand symbolizes that necessity. Israel was the keeper of the light. God came to penetrate the darkness with the light.
The Shekinah glory cloud rested on the mountain for six days in the sight of Israel. It looked like an enfolding fire on the top of the mountain. I want you to understand that God came to Israel with the light of glorious revelation.
Moses could not mistake God’s wishes for the details to make and construct that light. That lampstand was carefully detailed for him with its branches, its bowls, its bearing. It was all important and it deserved the finest attention. Light is necessary to life and here is the lampstand to give light: perpetual light, as the glory of revelation gives perpetual light to the world.
I leave you then with this question. Do you know where to find the light? One of my friends once asked me in a letter, why do you always use a portion from the Bible? The reason is plain: here is where light can be found. This lampstand in the midst of the tabernacle, God’s tent in the midst of Israel, symbolizes that light. Do you know where to find that light?
Thanks J Mark for this teaching and thank you for being here for this teaching from God’s Word. As we are going through this section of Exodus, I am so thankful for the completed work of Jesus Christ, through Him we have confidence to enter God’s presence. He has opened for us a new and living way, no longer do we have to abide by the Old Testament standards. Hallelujah Jesus Christ is the way!
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Thank you so much for being with us. We look forward to next week and hope you will join us for more lessons from Exodus. I will finish with a verse from Hebrews 9 on Christ’s finished work, “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come… 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
*This episode is an exposition of Exodus 25:31-40 by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.